Keep your word and remove all Shark Products and Promotions

Last year after being challenged about Shark Cartilage Pills, GROUPON made the following annoucement,"in the future, we will also refrain from launching any deals involving any shark or shark fin related products." Sadly they HAVE NOT kept to this word and in May 2014 were found to be offering Shark Cartilage Pills again!!

When contacted, GROUPON USA stated that the statement came from GROUPON HONG KONG and that it is not a statement reflected by GROUPON USA.

So here we have Groupon Hong Kong/China being environmentally responsible, whilst Groupon USA continues to support the mass slaughter of sharks.

With shark species under serious threat of extinction, losing the oceans apex predator will throw the ocean ecosystems into chaos and collapse. GROUPON is a global entity that states that it is environmentally responsible, yet it supports the slaughter of 100-200 million sharks a year by selling shark products on it websites.

Many of the shark cartilage companies will have you believe that they only use by-product yet this is not the case. For example: one US owned factory in Punteranas-Costa Rica kills 2.2 million sharks a year for its shark cartilage products, sold exclusively to the US market.

The shark issue is truly a global crisis and this needs global decisions made by global companies. We hope that GROUPON will take responsibility and keep its promise from 2013.

Letter to

Groupon

GROUPON Operations Director Asia PacificMr Chen Chow

GROUPON India

and 1 other

Groupon HK

Remove all Shark Products and Promotions

Dear GROUPON,

I am writing to ask you to stand by your word and refuse any shark or shark fin related products. In June 2013 you ran a promotion for Shark Cartilage Pills in Hong Kong. There was a public outrage and Groupon made the responsible decision to immediately stop the promotion, and also pledged;

“Additionally, in the future, we will also refrain from launching any deals involving any shark or shark fin related products.” - Jenny Lui, Head of Groupon Customer Service

This was well received globally and everyone praised Groupon for making such a resounding and responsible statement.

Fast forward 12 months and we are saddened to see that this statement, or sentiment isn’t shared by all within Groupon, and now a shark cartilage offer is available on US websites for FDC Shark Cartilage Pills 500mg for $7.99.

You are obviously either unaware or do not care about where your promotional items come from. I would like to think that it’s the former. If GROUPON were a responsible company, knowing now that sharks are under severe threat of extinction, you would no longer promote any shark products. This would include restaurants or hotels selling shark fin soup as well as Shark Liver Capsules and Shark Cartilage Tablets.To give you an example, one processing factory for shark cartilage uses 235,000 large coastal sharks each month. That's more that 2.8million sharks every year, and that's just one factory - one brand!!!Please consider the implications of this to our world’s shark populations that are already under severe pressure from Shark Fin Soup. Sharks are what are known as apex predators, they are the top of the oceanic food chains and maintain the balance of all life within the oceans. If they are removed, the consequences could be devastating.

Colleagues in the US have contacted Groupon USA and have heard back that the statement from Ms. Jenny Lui is only in regards to Groupon Hong Kong. Does this mean that ONLY Groupon Hong Kong is environmentally responsible, and that Groupon USA will continue to support products that are destructive to the environment?

Who would have thought that when it came to conserving the world’s sharks, they would get protection in Hong Kong but the slaughter would still be supported in the USA and other countries around the world?

I await your public announcement to re-assert that you will no longer promote of sell ANY shark products.